The regime begins

It seemed obvious really, to start a training regime with this, the arrival of June.

In the peculiar order I like to apply to certain areas of life, starting projects at the rollover to a new month seems to hold a degree of promise and optimism - a sense of there being about 30 days ahead in which to stick to some sort of resolution or routine.

Coincidentally, I also pay my rent and a lot of bills on the same day, so exercise is about the only activity I can afford by close of business on the 1st.

But where and how to begin.

Three of the events I have signed up for in the Games involve running, so I impressed the kids outside by doing some very serious looking stretches and decided to set off and 'go for a run'.

It is, after all what any self-respecting, all-round, work-hard-play-hard rugrat of my generation is meant - nay, required - to do at the end of the working day.

I like to compare my movements to that of a gazelle, but in truth, halfway down the block I probably had more in common with an ancient dingo, injured in the wild, a creature that David Attenborough would in his narration of the scene lament as being a goner.

I distract myself from the sudden lack of oxygen in the atmosphere by working out where I could lay the blame for this lack of fitness. It's the anaemia. It's the 2 litres of dialysis fluid I'm carrying. It's the tube in my tummy that somehow impedes my legs and lungs, despite being nowhere near either.

Distractions don't work for long though. I think at one point I was manically singing along to the song on my ipod in an attempt to ensure I was still breathing, but even that didn't do it.

After setting a more realistic target of a bus stop at the top of the road rather than the entire block, I allowed myself to slow down to a walk once I reached the modest finish line.

Once upon a more stubborn time, pride may have pushed me to keep running, but for the sake of my vital organs that are still working, on this occasion, I conceded the battle lost and strolled home.

It wasn't gazelle, but it was a good attempt. Next time I'll do better and next time will be tomorrow.